2014 Mazda6 Diesel, upgraded CX-5 set for Canadian premiere in Toronto

2014 Mazda6

PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, National Post

2014 Mazda CX-5

PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, National Post

By National Post

Originally published: February 5, 2013

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Mazda6 Diesel

The 2013 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto will serve as the location for the Canadian premiere of the highly anticipated, all-new 2014 Mazda6 clean-diesel sedan. The 2014 Mazda6 is the all-new flagship sedan that showcases the full suite of Skyactiv Technology with a new Skyactiv-G 2.5L I4 engine. The Skyactiv-D-equipped version will follow suit in the second half of the year, making Mazda the first Asian manufacturer to offer a modern-technology clean-diesel engine in a non-commercial vehicle.

Along with these new engines, the 2014 Mazda6 will also be the first vehicle to use i-ELOOP, Mazda’s capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system, and i-Activsense safety technology. I-Activsense is a series of Mazda’s new advanced safety technologies designed to aid the driver in recognizing hazards, avoiding collisions and reducing the severity of accidents when they cannot be avoided.

The new Mazda6 will be available with a choice of Skyactiv transmissions in either the Skyactiv-Drive six-speed automatic or Skyactiv-MT six-speed manual, connected to the new 13:1 high-compression ratio Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre gasoline engine. The Skyactiv-G 2.5L produces 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm.

Fuel economy for the 2014 Mazda6 is among the best in its class, Mazda says, at 5.1 litres per 100 kilometers on the highway, and 7.6 L/100 km in the city when paired with the optional six-speed Skyactiv-Drive automatic transmission. Fuel economy for the standard six-speed manual transmission is 5.3/8.1 L/100 km (hwy/city).

When the 2014 Mazda6 goes on sale in January, it will have a starting MSRP of $24,495 while offering more standard equipment than the outgoing sedan. Power, fuel economy, and pricing for the Mazda6 diesel will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

Mazda CX-5

The first Mazda vehicle to introduce the full suite of Skyactiv Technology, the CX-5, returns for the 2014 model year and features an available new 184-horsepower Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre gasoline engine as well as the all-new Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system.

Boasting more than 19% more horsepower and 23% more torque, the Skyactiv-G 2.5L still maintains the high fuel economy standards set by the Skyactiv-G 2.0L in the 2013 CX-5, Mazda says.

SCBS is a new safety feature for North America designed to assist drivers in avoiding a head-on collision when driving at low speeds between 5 to 30 kilometres an hour. A laser sensor mounted at the top of the windshield is used detect an obtrusive object and will reduce the brake rotor travel to quicken braking if there is a risk of a collision. If the driver fails to perform an avoidance maneuver, the SCBS system will activate an automatic braking function.